Fabric



April 3,- 1945. E. J. JACOB 2,372,673 l FABRIC l Filed Deo.` 22, 1941 ij )LA @L U l 14L 7 K INVENTOR:

BYEZ G fl'el C05.

MM5* H glass filaments and Patented Apr. 3, 1945 FABRIC Ezekiel J. 1mi,Nea York, N. Y., assignmu Benjamin mebowitl, New York, N. Y.

Application December zz, 1941, serial No. 424,016

12 claims lotes-202) The present application is a continuation in part`of my prior United States patent application Serial No. 394,895, filedlMay 23, 1941,- Pat. No.`2,313,344. This latter application is acontinuation in part of my United States patent application Serial No.336,504, led Apri1'19, 1940.

My present invention relates to new knitted fabrics.

. It is an object of this invention provide a heat-resistant knittedfabric meh-11S adapted t0 diffuse the heat to which it is exposedthroughout the entire fabric thereby diminishing thelikelihood of thefabric being destroyed, e. g., by fusing of the glass or s` ar fibres ofwhich the fabric is made A furthercbject of my invention consists 'inincorporating in a heat-resistant knitted fabric means adapted to conveyheat from one part of this fabric to another.

Still a. further object of my invention consists in providing aheat-protecting non-combustible knitted fabric which is also adapted tobe used for heating purposes.

I Another object bf my invention consists of al new non-combustibleheat-resistant. knitted fabric in which heating elements areincorporated in such a manner that `any danger of burning by touching.of the heated 'fabric is avoided.

Still another object of my invention consists of a newelectrically-heated knitted fabricadapted to be used for variouspurposes, as for instance, for electrical hotpads, heated garments,aviator costumes, heated blankets, heated rugs and other heating meansfor rooms With the above objects in view, Bly-present invention mainlyconsists of a knittedf-fabricimade from non-combustible bres i. e.filaments of ductile metals and of non-combustible electricallyinsulating libres 'L e. filaments of glass or similar substances.Naturally it is possible to' combine with the non-combustible ductilemetal and glass filaments also other non-combustible electricallyinsulating filaments. Thus-.for instance, my new knitted fabric may alsobe madefrom libres i. e. filaments of ductile metals as nickel ornichrome, of glass, and of asbestos in combination.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of my invention the new fabricis knitted of filaments of ductile metals and glass. The laments ofductile metals, i. e., line metallic electrically conductive. wires arepreferably inten-knitted with the heat-resistant electrically insulatingform part of the'knitted fabric itself. Y

I have found that byV incorporating fine metallic wires into a knittedfabric made of fine-heatresistant electrically insulating glassfilaments which simultaneously are also of relatively low heatconductivity, I am able to reduce the tend-v ency of these glassfilaments cf relatively low heat conductivity to burn outwhen locallyexposed to a temperature appreciably above that which the fabric canotherwise withstand. The

reason therefore is that the fine metallic wires incorporated in theheat-resistant glass fabric are of relatively vhigh heatconductivityandv distribute the heat over a' greater surface, thereby l reducingthetemperature at the over-exposed region.- Thus the heat-resistantelectrically insulatingfglass or similar filaments are protected frombeing melted or otherwise damaged.

Glass filaments are especially well-adapted for the purpose of thisinvention: glass is heat- AAresistant and lelectrically insulating vandcan I readily be drawn into extremely ne filaments.

It is of particular advantage that. yarns made of such filaments can beknitted into fabrics. lAs Van example of a specific embodiment, yarns'vvhich are very satisfactory for the present purposes may be made bytwisting together approximately one hundred glasslaments, each of whichhas a diameter of the order of magnitude bf a few ten-thousandths of aninch;v a number, e. g., six

"of the vresulting yarns may be plied or twisted together, to form thenal yarn of which the sired fabric may be made. 1

These glass filaments, or the yarns made 1 thereof, form the main partiof the new fabric,

incorporated therein are the heat-resistant lilaments of relatively highelectric conductivity.

I propose touse non-combustible fibres of ductile metals as, forinstance, fine metallic wires as such filaments. Suitable metals forthese wires are, e. g., nickel, nichrome, chromium-nickelalloys,iron-nickel alloys andother metals having suitable electrical andthermal conductivity and preferably high resistance to oxidation atele-` vated temperature.

VI have found that for certain purposes these metallic wires shouldpreferably have a diameter porated in an appropriate manner in w knitted.of about .0021;0 .005 inch and be properly distributed throughout theheat-resistant electrically insulating nlaments for the purpose in view.

'Ihe incorporated wires are also of importance as' they 4mechanicallystrengthen the structure of the new'fabric. By increasing the mechanicalstrength of the fabric, itretains its shape more easily; furthermore4the wires when incorsi f e fabric, for instance a knitted tubing.hinder the fabric from unravelling. This function of the wire is alsouseful in the course of production of the fabric.

In the accompanying diagrammatic drawing I show preferred embodiments ofmy invention from which the same will be more clearly understood.

In this drawing:

Figs. l and 2 are enlarged fragmentary views of two modifications offabrics knitted in accordance with, the present invention; and

Figure 3 is a view of a. new heating device incorporating a fabric ofthe type shown in one of of the Figs. 1 and 2.

The new knitted purl fabrics shown in Figures l and 2 consist of yarnsl2 of heat-resistant fine glass filaments inter-woven with thin metallicwires M having each a diameter of .002 to .005 inch. In experimentscarried out by me. I have used nickel wire having a diameter of about.003 inch and having an'electric resistance of about fifty-one ohms perfoot; I alsotried using nichrome wire having the same diameter and aresistance of about two hundred and thirty ohms per foot. I found thatwhen I incorporated about twenty feet of such wire into a knitted fabricmade of glass yarn and connected the ends of the wire with a source ofelectric current, these wires were heated to a sub-glow temperatureadapted for heating purposes.

The purl fabric shown in Fig. 1 is knitted of yarns i2 of glassfilaments and the metallic Wires i4 lie between the courses I3 of thisfabric and form small loops l5.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 the knitting of the glass yarn isidentical with the one shown in Fig. 1. The only difference is that themetallic wires lie not only between the courses I6 and I1 of theknitting, but the wire loops'l8 form Dart of the courses I 1.

As shown in Figs. l and2 the metallic wires are substantially evenlydistributed in the knitted fabric so that parallel wire portions are notin contact with each other, thereby avoiding the possibility of shortcircuits when the wire ends are connected to a source of electriccurrent. Furthermore the distance and arrangement of the metallic wiresis chosen in such a manner that they are spaced from one fabric surface,thereby avoiding the danger of electric shocks by touching this surface.

stance, for electrical heating pads, heated garments such as aviatorscostumes, heated blankets, heating rugs and other heating vmeans forrooms.

This fabric may also be used for heat insulating .purposes as forinstance, for replace screens and replace linings and the like.

It should', however, be stressed that it is also possible to use one andthe same fabric for both purposes. Thus, for instance, it is possible touse a fireplace screen consisting of a fabric of the above-describedtype alternately as heat insulating means in usual manner, or as heatingdevice; in the latter case it is only necessary to connect the ends ofthe wire or wires incorporated in the fabric of the screen with e.source of electric current.

It should be stressed that I have found glass yarn especially adaptedfor the purposes of the present invention.

The specific embodiments shown and described above are merelyillustrative.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of.the United States is:

1. A knitted fabric of glass filament yarn comprising wire incorporatedin spaced courses.

2..A knitted fabric comprising glass filament yarn knitted inconsecutive courses and wire incorporated in spaced courses.

Fig. 3 shows a heating device making use of the knitted fabrics shown inone of the abovedescribed gures.

In the embodiment shown in this figure several heating wires 28 areparallelly connected tothe source of electriccurrent 29 by means of theelectric conductors 30 and 3l. In this knitted fabric the conductors 30and 3| are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the fabric alongthe.

Ythem from each other.

Fabrics of the above-described type may be used for various heatingpurposes as for in- 3. A knitted fabric comprising glass iament yarn inconsecutive courses and uninsulated thin metallic wires incorporated insaid fabric spaced from each other and spaced from at least one surfaceof said fabric.

4. A knitted purl fabric comprising glass illament yarn knitted inconsecutive courses and wire incorporated in spaced courses.

5. A knitted purl fabric of glass filament yarn comprising conductivethin metallic Wire incorporated in spaced courses.

6. Knitted fabric comprising glass lament yarn knitted in consecutivecourses and -uninsulated thin metallic wires incorporated spaced fromeach other in at least a partof said courses.

7.' A knitted fabric comprising heat resistant non-combustible,electrically insulating and nonconductive fine filaments yarn knitted incon-v secutive courses and uninsulated thin metallic wires incorporatedspaced 'from each other in at least a part of said courses.

- 8. A knitted fabric of heat resistant non-combustible, electricallyinsulating and non-conductive fine filaments and wire incorporated inspaced courses.

9. A knitted fabric comprising heat resistant in said fabric spaced fromeach other and spaced 'from at least one surface of said fabric.

11. A knitted puri fabric comprising heat resistant non-combustibleelectrically insulating and non-conductive fine filaments knitted inconsecutive coursesv and "wire incorporated lin spaced courses.V V

12. A knitted purl fabric of heat resistant noncoinbustible electricallyinsulating and non-conductive fine filaments and conductive thinmetallic wire incorporated in spaced courses.

EZEKIEL J JACOB.

